We all want to ensure those who come to our wedding, especially close friends and family are well cared for and can enjoy the experience. I thought I’d share a few details from my wedding and some additional ideas to show you care for those special wedding guests.

Kids

I did not have many children at my wedding, and all of those who came were toddlers or older. But for those that came I chose to provide coloring books and crayons from the 99 cent store placing them in mason jars on their dinning tables. During the celebration, one boy came up to me and politely asked if he could keep his dinosaur themed coloring book. Another family with three children colored pages which they tore from their books and gave to Luke and I as gifts.

Other options: If you are anticipate a large number of children, consider hosting a children’s table which can have butcher paper or a paper table cloth that the children can draw on, paper place mats would work well too. This way the children can still participate and enjoy themselves while their parents get a chance to have a grown-up discussion.

Grandparents

Grandparents of the Bride and Groom are honored guests that should be considered in the wedding venue. And knowing the venue’s staff’s friendliness toward your guests and their needs is important. It was pouring down rain at my wedding rehearsal so one of my grandmothers , Luke’s grandmother and their friends decided to spend the rehearsal in the bridal room that the coordinator willingly offered to open.

My wedding was outdoors at a three level venue, bottom for ceremony, terrace for hors d’oeuvre, and top level for dinner with two paths: a set of stairs and a concrete walkway. Fortunately the venue offered golf-cart rides for guest who needed assistance on these paths for the rehearsal and wedding. In addition to this, we also had ushers who were available to help people down the path and/or across the grass to their seats both of which I know the grandparents appreciated.

Those with Allergies 

I am more than sympathetic with those who suffer from food allergies, considering I have my good share of them.  My cousin,  grandmother, and my mother-in-law are all gluten-free. The dinner was BBQed chicken and or steak, salad, rice, and bread. Fortunately each piece of the meal was in its own container and dished up by servers using separate serving utensils for each dish.  So my grandmother and cousin were able to specify to the food servers not to put bread on their plates. Still the venue made it clear they could not set up a gluten-free zone in their kitchen. And my mother-in-law ,who for health reasons only eats organic and gluten free, was allowed to bring her own meal.

I was able to have my wedding cake because cake flour does not contain barley, but for those who were gluten-free I also chose to have a dessert bar. The venue offered vintage candy store glass jars for free use. All I needed to provide were the goodies, labels, and serving utensils.

Since this was a fall wedding in apple country, we had a container for carmel apple pops.We also chose one favorite old fashion candy of the Groom’s (Luke) root beer barrels and the bride’s (me) soft peppermints. Last of all we made gluten-free shortbread cookies and organic and gluten free peanut butter cookies. We bought small goody-bags and set up a sign instructing guests to fill up a bag to take home. So this was both a way to take care of those who weren’t fans or couldn’t eat cake and an edible favor! I had Stina (my soon to be sister-in-law) set up and monitor the candy bar making sure it stayed stocked.

It is in the these small ways I showed those guests who needed a little special attention that they are appreciated and welcomed.